“Each battle will have different rules. They will be creative in costume and setting. Each contest will be a different spectacle. Each will require intense athletic training and ability. And, as it will be a real battle to the death, you won’t be able to turn away from it whether you want to or not.”
Murmurs among the journalists were getting loud. And several journalists started to vie for his attention. “Mr. Longus, Mr. Longus”
“Please no questions until the end of my announcement. I believe my presentation will answer many of the questions you have. And if you have others at the end of my presentation, I will answer them then.” He smiled with an imperial sense of self-satisfaction that quieted the crowd.
“You may be wondering how we can get away with such a brutal spectacle. We are employing the same legal contracts that are used in other sports. Fights in hockey and other sporting events aren’t punished criminally. Such altercations are within the jurisdiction of the sponsoring league. We have used the same business model. Our contracts require that participants waive their rights to prosecute those that inflict injuries upon them.
“The league is responsible for penalizing inappropriate behaviors. But we won’t.” Quentin chortled with his mouth close for a moment.
“Giving the spectator everything he wants, without restrictions, is our mission. We plan to do so in a way that cannot be surpassed. We will not pull punches.”
Quentin sat even taller and continued.
“Legal objections aside, some folks may object to Prison Wars on moral grounds. We have taken two actions that will hopefully qualm the ethical concerns you might have.
“First of all, all games will be preceded by disclaimers, the full text of which will be available after the press conference. In addition to the usual warning that the material is inappropriate for children, the lengthy statement will note that the participants are in prison because of their brutality. The disclaimer makes the very valid point that the desperation of the participants is proof that crime doesn’t pay. The best way to avoid such violence is to stay out of prison. I have every expectation that Prison Wars will be a deterrent to crime.
“Secondly, we will be donating twenty percent of the proceeds, before taxes but after expenses, to the State’s general fund. In addition, ten percent of the profits shall be put aside for payment of the contest participants themselves. In consultation with the Governor of our great State of California, we have arranged for forty percent of the proceeds going to the State to be earmarked for education. Fifteen percent of the State’s funds will help the State Penal System.
“Prison Wars will be what we call a win-win-win-win situation. Prisoners will win. The Attorney General’s office has agreed to adjust the terms of the participant’s sentencing conditions in recognition of their positive and valiant contributions to society. The winners will also receive considerable revenues.
“Children will win. The projected income will allow a reduction in the teacher-to-student ratio in our State. This will serve to keep kids out of prison and increase their ability to lead our State out of its current economic decline.
“Society will win. Contributing to the General Fund and covering some of the costs of the Penal System will go a long way to alleviating our State’s perennial budget crisis. The prisoners will be paying their debt to society by paying societies’ debts. Who knows? We may even live to see it resulting in a tax cut.”
Quentin laughed silently and a couple of drunks in the audience laughed out loud.
“Society will also win morally as this will be a deterrent to crime.”
“And we the viewers will win. I promise you a show that will create an unprecedented buzz. I promise you a spectacle that will be more gripping than anything you have ever seen before. This will be reality television for the modern era.”
Quentin paused to survey the assembled audience. They all looked somewhat ridiculous. Their faces showed a combination of distorted reactions. Simultaneously, surprise, disbelief, continued nervous laughter from a few, confusion, and excitement occupied the viewers’ faces. They wanted to talk, but couldn’t. A lot of round sounds bubbled out of their mouths. It was if the reporters and guests were trying to spit out tar.
“The design of the individual events will be interactive. We are working with groups of video game designers, sports enthusiasts, television producers and the prisoners themselves to make this a test of skill that will be fun to watch.
“At the end of each contest, we will have on-line polls and discussion groups. We will implement every one of the most popular suggestions at the very next contest. And nothing . . . nothing will be off the table. Weapons, sets, costumes, different rules and gadgets will all be considered. We are proud to say that this will be the first truly interactive mass sport. Our viewers will be in control. Whatever the public wants, up to and including injury and even death, we will manifest.”
Several people made spontaneous outcries. These sounds were preverbal. They sounded like proto-exclamations and wails.
Instead of continually asking folks to please quiet down, Quentin just got quiet himself. He put his index finger in front of his lips while calmly smiling and made oceanic shushing sounds. He exemplified the state he wished to see. With patience, a look of extreme bliss, and no sense of anger at the sound, he waited for the audience’s sound to pass.
It took a few minutes for people to start shushing each other and for the air to be cleared again for him. And I don’t think that anyone missed the fact that he waited until the sound of the cars below and the breathing of those assembled were audible before he continued.
“In short, Prison Wars will be the revolution in programming that we have all been waiting for. It will provide more financial aid to our society than all the telethons ever run combined. It will radically reform our prison system. It will provide the final leap to the collective interactive nature that television and computers have made possible. And it will take us to the extremes of reality and fantasy our psyches have always sought.
“It will be the single most important cultural event of our generation. Get ready for Prison Wars. Death is expected. Nothing will ever be the same again.”
Strangely, this shocking last string of sound bytes created no reaction at all. But still there was a nearly audible sound of thoughts racing. It was very dramatic.
“I am now open to take questions. Please, for my records, state your name and the name of the news organization for whom you work.” The silence broke into the familiar frenzy of journalists vying to be recognized. Looking like he was having a lot of fun, Quentin pointed at one.
“Mr. Longus, Peter Flemming, Time magazine.” This man was very professional.
“Yes.”
“You must be aware that these contracts will be challenged in court. Do you really expect these battles…”
“Prison Wars. Please refer to them as Prison Wars. Prison Wars will be referred to as games, not battles.”
“Yes Mr. Longus. Do you really expect that these Prison Wars games will be aired? Won’t the courts tie them up for years, until the project is dropped?”
“These contracts are legal. No coercion is being used. If prisoners do not wish to sign-up to participate in the Prison Wars, they don’t have to. The contracts we are using are based on those that other sporting organizations use. They are fairly standard.
“Besides lawsuits require plaintiffs. The athletes that participate won’t sue. If they don’t want to participate, they won’t. And the State won’t sue as it is co-sponsoring these events.
“The network airing the program,